Genius Traveler has happy independence day

Taking the Indian rails for the first time made me feel like a Genius Traveler. I rocked up to the counter and was given the option, 1st or 2nd, AC or non-AC? First class 500-something Rs ('bout ten bucks), second's 200-some Rs. Both AC. I know this and have to ask, how much is 2nd class non AC? 67 Rs. About $1.50. It's a 2.5-hour trip (faster than the car), how bad can it be? I'll take the 10.15 Shabadti Express, 2nd class non-AC chair car, please. Holiday, ma'am. Train's at 11. OK, fine.

The holiday is Republic Day, commemorating the formation of the Republic of India in 1950 (not to be confused with Independence Day, the day they won their independence from the Brits).

At breakfast before leaving Thomas (the lovely proprieter of Shantosha's) tells me two things. I've bought a necklace indicating marriage, but I've bought only one circle. Only half. Should be two circles, one for the sun, the other the moon. I tell him I got it right then, I'm holding out for the moon....But also that today's a solar eclipse. Inauspicious for travel...)

At the station this porter takes my bags (I give him 35 Rs, a bargain considering I never would have found my correct seat without his help). On the way I grab a chai (5 Rs).

I'm a little nervous because of what I've heard about train travel, people packed onto the car like they pack onto the bus. But we have assigned seats. I got a "chair car."

The ceiling of the non-AC car is lined with fans. Plus there are windows. As for "chairs" however, that's a little subjective. They're benches.

Someone's in my seat (according to my porter, whose breath I now notice smells distinctly of alcohol) so I just head to another bench. I'm waiting as the minutes tick by. No one joins me on the bench. In fact, the train's kinda empty. We start chugging out. Between the solor eclipse and the holiday, I got my own bench the whole way.

The countryside streaming past is lovely, paddy fields and palms. I get a masala dosa and another chai from the vendors who stream through the car. It's breezy enough and just as it starts to get a bit uncomfortably warm we're at Bangalore Central.

I follow the crowd to the exit and the parking lot beyond. Not quite sure what to do but knowing I need to get to Indiranagar, I wade past taxi hawkers. A rickshaw guy says, 180 Rs! I keep following the crowd. Prepaid rickshaws! 85 Rs. Genius.